Study Support

Recent graduate Jake Smith has just gained a big promotion at work to Senior Marketing Manager at Legal & General. He believes his OU degree and commitment to studies were very positively received during his job interview and played a part in him successfully getting the job.“It shows employers that if you put your mind to something you can achieve it.”

Jake initially studied with the OU to improve his knowledge of web design but decided to continue on to a degree. Platform caught up with him at his degree ceremony in Brighton.

 

First course led to a degree
Once I saw the breadth of courses the OU offered and realised that my qualification would be able to count towards a degree it was even more attractive. I had taken a number of one day training courses with professional training companies through work and though useful they were not in depth enough and really only taught you parrot fashion rather than explaining theory as well as practice and giving you the opportunity to really learn.”

Dreams of becoming a rock star
I had "dropped out" of a degree straight after school to try and be a rock star, with (unfortunately) limited success, 15 years later it felt like unfinished business and so the OU with its flexibility, great reputation and value for money seemed ideal. I knew that I would not be able to afford to do a full time course as my wife was self employed and pregnant with our first child, but I thought that with the wide range of courses I could find a route that would help me develop and give me new opportunities.”

Work supported studies
The OU certificate was really helpful to my role at Legal & General, I was in a role that was very new at my company, there was no real training available in house and so we looked externally. The reputation of the OU meant that my employers were supportive and understood the benefit of me studying, paying for my courses and giving me some study time. The skills I gained from the course really helped me develop in my role and led to a promotion and helped me identify a future career path and gain recognition for my skills and knowledge at work.

Once I had finished the course I discovered that I really enjoyed learning with the OU and so I continued with additional modules which were not work related to complete my degree. My employers were still supportive of my study, giving me interest free loans for the courses. Although my degree ended up being in a different field (Music and technology) many of the skills I developed, such as the ability to take in a large amount of information and make sense of it, writing properly structured essays and managing my time were extremely useful.

Internal promotion at work
Although I am still at the same company, I have been able to move into new areas of the business and can justify my claim that I am a quick learner and able to adapt and take on new skills.

A CV certainly looks much stronger with a degree on it (especially a First Class one!) this is really important when a recruiting manager is making decisions on who to interview. Having the OU on my CV has sparked a question in every interview since I starting studying, and has always been seen in a really positive light. The reputation for quality helps, but so does the recognition of the commitment it takes to study whilst holding down a full time job and starting a family!

Advice for those thinking of doing a degree
The advice I would give is to go for it! You shouldn't underestimate the effort required, but as with most things in life, you get out what you put in. There's no need to put it off, I managed to gain my degree at the same time as holding down a full time job and my wife giving birth to two children. Most importantly make sure you choose something you really want to study or learn about, that way the work always feels meaningful and worthwhile. The huge range of courses available and the quality of the teaching materials, plus the support from tutors and fellow students meant that I really enjoyed my time studying with the OU, in fact where is the prospectus, I reckon I could do some more!
 
A quote from Jake’s manager: John Laney Head of Marketing, Legal & General
“Jake started his study for the OU with a course on web design that was supported by Legal & General and gave him an excellent grounding in the skills and knowledge necessary for his role. The company has a policy of supporting wider learning and we were happy to do so for Jake. As his current manager I would say that his personal development during his study and the successful completion of his degree were positive contributions in his career development. A good degree from a respected University is a key factor in today's world for securing more senior professional positions.”

Find out more:

• Study with the OU
• Career advisory service  

The OU has today (Tuesday 29 May) announced that it’s withdrawing the union fee discount for new undergraduate students.

The discount withdrawal applies to new undergraduates beginning their study in England from 1 September 2012, and is due to changes to the way higher education is funded in England and the cost associated with maintaining the scheme.

Take at look at the results for those courses which ended in 2011. The following PDF contains the results of most 30 and 60-point courses in 2011, just click the link below to view them.

• Course results 2011

Please note the Platform team are unable to address any questions about the course results information and any queries must be sent to examinations@open.ac.uk in order for them to be answered.

Joyce didn’t go to university herself but started work aged 13 following the outbreak of the Second World War. Over the years she was always interested in Colin’s studies and would have enjoyed further study, he says. Even in her later years when she sadly developed Alzheimer’s, she was incredibly quick and could do mental arithmetic faster than anyone else he knew.

Looking back Colin says: “I’d say ‘what is 5x17?’ and she would come back with the answer so quickly. We had to learn times tables at school by heart in those days and at the time it’s a nuisance but later in life you realise how valuable it is. One of the young carers who looked after my sister commented that she was quicker than a computer.”

Because of this link, Colin made a donation to help future students at the OU.
“In particular I’d like to support students with disabilities but support anybody who would have benefited from a university education, but couldn't afford it.”

Colin personally gained a huge amount from his studies. He enjoyed the social aspects: meeting tutors and fellow students, both in person and online and learned some things about himself.

“It’s taught me to be a bit more patient with people as we are all at different levels of experience and comprehension; that I don’t know everything and the importance of continuing education for people if they get the chance to do it.”

After quite a few years of OU study, Colin is taking a break to pursue another item on his to do list: writing a book.

“I’ve decided I’d like to write a prescriptive grammar book and am basing it on some notes I have from grammar school in the 1940s.”
And after that? Who knows….?

Find out more:

• Leave gift in your Will
• OU projects supported by donations
• Services for disabled students

An OU student on DD307 Social psychology: critical perspectives on self and others has penned a song about the frustrations of writing a TMA.

In the blurb underneath the video on YouTube, Eddie, who wrote and produced the song and accompanying video, says: “It's always an emotional time handing in a Tutor Marked Assignment for The Open University. This is for my fellow DD307 students this year. Unfortunately I had no cameraman, so had to enlist Surf Teddy to do the honours.”